Indonesian woman dies from bird flu
A 30-year-old woman from the Indonesian town of Tangerang, west of Jakarta, has died from suspected bird flu, the health ministry has announced. If confirmed, her death will bring the country's total to 90 (source: Xinhua).

Universal flu vaccine hope
Mice exposed to dead H1 and H3 viruses and an RNA-like drug are protected from H5N1, despite never being exposed to it, Japanese scientists have found. They say this could help in the quest for a vaccine against all flu viruses (source: New Scientist).

Bird flu returns to Vietnamese poultry
Bird flu has returned to southern Vietnam after a two-month absence, says the Agriculture Ministry. Samples from ducks in Tra Vinh province confirmed the presence of the virus (source: Reuters).

Pakistan unveils US$19 million bird flu plan
The Pakistani government has announced a PKR1.18 billion (US$19 million) plan to combat bird flu. It includes improvements to diagnostic capabilities, research and public awareness campaigns (source: Daily Times).

Ordinary computers used in bird flu drug searchAsian and European researchers are harnessing the power of thousands of computers to search 500,000 drug-like molecules for potential bird flu drugs. The computers are linked together to form a 'grid' supercomputer (source: SpiritIndia.com).

Mutation brings H5N1 closer to human transmission
Experiments in mice show that the presence of a single amino acid allows the H5N1 virus to grow successfully in the upper respiratory tract. Scientists say this could provide a platform for the virus to more efficiently infect and pass between humans (source: PLoS Pathogens).

Survivor plasma potential bird flu treatment
Transfusions of plasma, the liquid part of the blood, from bird flu survivors are a potential treatment for the H5N1 virus, according to Chinese doctors. A patient receiving transfusions from a survivor received antibodies that aided recovery, the doctors say (source: Web MD Medical News).

Doctors warned: do not over-prescribe Tamiflu
Researchers have warned doctors not to over-prescribe the influenza drug Tamiflu. They say the drug is not broken down in sewage systems, meaning it could find its way into water supplies and make viruses resistant in the event of a pandemic (source: Reuters).